Fixed louvered awning assembly



July 2, 1957 N. A. VETERE FIXED LOUVERED AWNING ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 25, 1955 INVEN TOR.

AT TO R N EY 2,197,452 FIXED LOUVERED AWNING ASSEMBLY Nicholas A. Vetere, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to Awnair Corporation of America, Wayne, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey 7 Application November 25, 1955, Serial No. 548,983

3 Claims. (Cl. 20-57.5)

This invention relates to awnings, and more particularly, metal awnings which are adapted to permit the free ventilation of air therethrough, while providing shade.

Previously known awnings which were formed of a plurality of slats held together in a partially opened relationship, are of highly complicated structure and require specialized tools and jigs for assembly. Such awnings could be assembled only at the factory or place of manufacture and had to be shipped in an assembled condition,.as a result of which they required a large amount of shipping, space.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an awning structure which may be assembled with a minimum amount of difficulty and through the use of ordinary hand tools.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an awning assembly which may be shipped in a knocked down state so as to occupy a minimum amount of shipping space.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a metal awning which will be rigid enough to withstand the rigors of weather and high winds.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a metal awning which may be assembled by inexperienced workmen.

A feature of the present invention is its interlocking stay construction which grasps the leading edge of one awning slat and secures the trailing edge of the next adjacent slat.

Another feature of the present invention is its stay gripping means for preventing slat slippage.

A further feature of the present invention is the interchangeability of parts.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention, in which drawings, similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, and in which:

Figure l is an isometric view of a complete embodiment of the present'invention in an assembled form.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1, somewhat enlarged.

Figure 3 is an isometric view of a stay member made in accordance with the present invention, somewhat enlarged.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a frame formed of spaced members which may be made of extruded aluminum, sheet iron or the like and which is secured at its upper end to a building (not shown) and anchored at its lower end to said building by means of struts 11 in such a manner that the said frame 10 is angularly disposed with respect to said building.

The upper faces 12 of the frame 10 are provided with a plurality of openings 13, best shown in Figure 2. Each of the openings 13 is adapted to receive therein, the clip portion 14 of a stay member 15.

United States Patent Fatented July 2, 1957 The stay member 15, best shown in Figure 3, consists of an upright portion 16 which, when the said stay member is secured to the frame 10 by means of the clip 14, is in a substantially normal position with respect to the upper surface 12of said frame 10.

The stay member 15 has a base portion,17 extending from the bottom of the upright portion 16 so as to lie parallel to the upper surface 12 of the frame 10 to. which it is attached. The clip member 14 is struck from the base portion 17, as best shown, in Figure 3, and is bent downwardly so as to. slip within the openings 13, in the frame 10.

The upper end of the stay member 15, generally indicated at 18 in Figure 3, is bent to conform to the shape of the forward lip 19 of a slat member 20 which is secured to the frame 10 by the said stay member 15. g

The upper portion 18 of the stay member 15 slides beneath the leading portion 19 of the slat 20 and grasps the edge 21 of said slat 20. The stay member 15 is provided with gripping teeth 22 whereby the slat'20 may be preventedv from sliding out of engagement with the said stay 15. Two such teeth 22 are provided in the upper portion 18 of the stay member 15 and are formed by being inwardly struck from the edges 23 of the stay 15 in the area where the upper portion of the stay 15 grasps the edge 21 of the slat 20.

Another pair of grasping teeth 24 are provided in the bottom portion 17 of the stay 15 and are formed so as to extend upwardly in the direction of the slat 20 which is engaged by the stay 15 and an upwardly bent lip 28 at that point.

Locking ears 25 complete the construction of the stay member 15. The locking ears comprise inwardly bent portions of the upright body 16 of the stay 15, said ears 25 being located at a point on the stay 15 so that they will overlie the trailing edge 26 of the slat 20.

When it is desired to assemble the awning into the form shown in Figure 1, the first slat 20 may be secured to the frame 10 by means of screws 27 so as to locate the trailing edge 26 of the slat 20 adjacent the building. The leading portion 19 of the slat 20 is then engaged by the stay 15 in the manner indicated above.

The leading portion 19 of the slat is so constructed that after the stay 15 is slipped into engagement with the said leading portion 19, it will require a certain amount of bending in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2 before the clip portion 14 of the stay 15 can be inserted into the openings 13.

By reason of this bending, the slat 20 is put under tension and operates to spring load the assembly into a permanently held awning. The spring loading action further causes the teeth 22 to bite into the metal of the slat 20 and prevent any lateral slipping of the slat within the stay 15. The next slat 20 is then inserted in the stay member 15 in the manner shown in Figure 2 so that its trailing edge 26 slips beneath the cars 25 and its leading portion 19 is disposed outwardly and in a general direction away from the building. The portion of the slat 20 near the edge 26 rests upon the lip 28 as a fulcrum in spring loading the slat.

When the second slat 20 is spring loaded by the insertion of the succeeding stay member 15 in the manner previously described, the teeth 24 provided in the base of the stay 15 with which it is engaged, are caused to bite into the metal of the said second slat 20 to prevent lateral slippage thereof.

By repeating the foregoing operations, a complete awning assembly can be constructed by workmen of little skill and by use of no other tool than a screwdriver which is employed for the purpose of securing the screws 27 and spreading the portions of the clip 14 which extend through the openings 13 in the frame members 10.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a novel awning assembly which lends itself to great economies in shipping, assembly and materials. The parts of the awning are interchangeable and only a few parts are required to complete the entire-structure.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is: a i a V l. A metal awning structure comprising, spaced frame members, a plurality of upstanding stay members, a hookshaped portion on one end of said stay, a base portion formed onthe other end of said stay and disposed at right angles to the upstanding portion, an upwardly bent lip on the outer end of the base, a depending clip struck,

from the base portion and insertable Within the frame openings whereby the stays are secured at theirlower ends to said frames, a plurality of slats on the frame members, each of said ;slats being engaged at its trailing edge by a stay at a point near the base of said stay and,

at its leading edge by the hoop-shaped portion of the next adjacent stay whereby said slats are locked to the frames in open louvered relationship to one another..

2. A metal awning structure comprising, spaced frame members, said frames having a series of openings in the upper surfaces thereof, a plurality of upstanding stay members, a base portion formed on the stay and disposed at right angles to the upstanding portion, a depending clip struck from the base portion and insertable within the frame openings whereby the stays are secured at their lower ends to said frames, a toothed hook-like member extending in a generally outward direction from the free endof each stay, a plurality of slats on the frame member, each of said slats being engaged at its i said stay by means of the ears and at-its leading edge trailing edge by a stay at a point near the base of said stay and at its leading edge by the said hook-shaped portion of the next adjacentl stay whereby said slats are locked to the frames in open louvered relationship to one another.

3. A metal awning structure comprising, spaced frame members, said frames having a series of openings in the upper surfaces thereof, a plurality of upstanding members, a. base portion formed on the stay and disposed at right angles to the upstanding portion, 2. depending clip struck from the base portion and insertable within the frame openings whereby the stays are secured at their lower ends to said frames, a toothed hook-like member extending in a generally outward direction from the free end of said stay, a pair of cars on the upstanding portion of the stay spaced from the bottom thereof, a plurality of slats on the frame members, each of said slats being engaged at its trailing edge by a stay at a point near the base of by the hook-like member at the outermost end of the next adjacent stay whereby said slats are locked to the frames in open louvered relationship to one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,551,558 Friend et a1. May 1, 1951 2,680,886 Urban June 15, 1954 2,733,485 Knight Feb. 7, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 581,094 Great Britain Oct. 1, 1946 

